Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 4: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the J&K Government and the Director of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, seeking details of the construction plan for NIT’s Newa, Pulwama, campus, including the number of trees proposed to be cut.
Notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary of J&K, Director NIT Srinagar, Chairman of the J&K Biodiversity Council, Chief Wildlife Warden and Deputy Commissioner Pulwama.
The bench-comprising Justice Prakash Srivastava (NGT Chairperson), Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member), and Dr. Satyagopal Korlapati (Expert Member)-directed the Director of NIT Srinagar to disclose the full construction plan for the Newa campus and the number of trees likely to be felled.
The case was listed before the Principal Bench of the NGT on April 1, 2025.
The petition was filed by RTI and environmental activist Dr. Raja Muzaffar Bhat before the NGT through his counsel, Advocate Saurabh Sharma.
The petitioner has sought the NGT’s intervention to prevent the felling of “thousands of fruit and non-fruit-bearing trees” on 4,500 kanals of Karewa land.
“Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing through e-filing. If any respondent directly files the reply without routing it through his advocate, then the respondent will remain virtually present to assist the Tribunal,” the order read.
“The applicant is directed to serve the respondents and file an affidavit of service at least one week before the next date of hearing. Respondent No 5 (Director NIT Srinagar) is directed to disclose the entire plan of construction of NIT campus and number of trees which are proposed to be cut in the process of the said construction along with its reply affidavit,” NGT said.
The matter is listed for the next hearing on August 1, 2025.
In his original application, the petitioner stated that the entire area is a habitat for summer migratory birds such as the European Bee-eater, Kashmir Flycatcher, White-capped Bunting (Emberiza stewarti), Common Cuckoo, Jacobin Cuckoo, as well as mammals including the Himalayan Red Fox, porcupines, and leopards.
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